Just As Friends
by its-themusicinmysoul
Summary: "Want to dance?" He asked again, not taking no for an answer, "just as friends." He assured, as he held out his hand.


It was the last week of school and eighth grade graduation was just days away. You could feel the excitement in the halls of the school as all the students prepared to enter into young-adulthood.

Riley and Lucas had barely spoken to each other since Farkle practically told the world about Riley's true feelings at her New Year's Eve party. Sure, there was the occasional small talk in between classes with a group of friends, but nothing like it used to be. After Riley's secret was revealed and Lucas found out that she was lying about her feelings, the two just ignored that it ever happened, mostly because they were both in shock of the situation they were both put in.

Maya had realized that her feelings for Riley's uncle Josh hadn't changed. She also came to the revelation that she had confused her platonic feelings for Lucas for romantic, due to the fact that she had never known how to care for a boy her age in a non-romantic way.

Riley and Lucas finally agreed to meet at Topanga's to talk about things and figure this situation out.

Riley sat inside Topanga's, anxiously waiting for Lucas to arrive. Topanga, noticing how nervous and scared her daughter looked, sat down next to her.

"Honey," she said sweetly as she put her arm around her, "Are you okay? You don't look so good. Do you feel sick?" She asked worried.

"No, no, mom. I'm fine." Riley assured, slowly letting her head hang down, until she jolted her head back up. "Mom, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, sweetie." Topanga said as she rubbed her back. "What's on your  
mind?"

"What do you do when you have to decide between taking a risk or not taking it, when if you do take it, it could either leave you happy or heartbroken, but if you don't take it, it just leaves you heartbroken?" Riley said, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Is this about Lucas?" Topanga asked concerned.

Riley nodded her head. "How'd you know?"

"Honey," Topanga sighed, "I've watched you two for the last two years now. And I have never seen anything more special than what the two of you have." She said sitting up. "You know, I had to have this very conversation with my mother."

"You did?" Riley asked, confused, "But, I thought that you and dad were together for, like, your whole lives. Why were you scared to be with him?"

"Well, you know how Grandma and Grandpa Lawrence are divorced?" She said softly. Riley nodded her head. "Well they split up while your father and I were in college, when we were engaged. See, I thought that if two people, like them, loved each other so much and still split up, that the same thing would happen to your father and I."

"But, it didn't." Riley said, confused as to where her mother was going with this.

"Right." Topanga said. "And you know what Grandma Lawrence said to me? She said that she wouldn't trade what she had with Grandpa, even if she knew that it wouldn't work out in the end."  
"Really?" Riley asked, dumbfounded.

"Really." Topanga said, gently stroking her daughter's hair. "Riley, please don't give up Lucas because you're afraid of what might happen in the future." She said as she walked back over to the counter, leaving her daughter with her thoughts.

Lucas finally walked through the door, after what seemed like hours, when in reality it was only a few minutes.

"Hey." He said, walking over to her.

"Hey." Riley replied, standing up out of the chair.

"Do you maybe want to sit outside and talk?" Lucas he asked.

Riley turned and looked at her mother, who just simply nodded her head. She turned to Lucas and replied, "Sure."

Riley and Lucas sat at a table outside of Topanga's, doing everything but what they were there for: talking to each other. They both fiddled with their hands until Lucas finally broke the silence.

"So... is what Farkle said true? Do you still have feelings for me?" He asked.

"Yes," Riley sighed, "Of course I still have feelings for you."

"Well, then why did you say we were like brother and sister?" Lucas asked.

"Because Maya liked you. And I thought that if she stepped back for me when she knew that I liked you, then how could I not let her feel what she felt?"

"But, did you ever think about me? About what I felt?" Lucas questioned, raising his voice a tad.

"Of course I did. But you care about Maya." She replied.

"Yes, I do. I care about Maya a lot. But, I don't love her the way I love you." He said softly.

Riley eyes widened "You, you love me?"

"Yes, I love you. I really love you. Do you love me?"

"I love you too." Riley said. She couldn't believe the words that had just came out of her mouth, but she knew without a doubt that every bit of it was true.

"So, why did you try and convince me that we only loved each other like brother and sister?" Lucas asked, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

"See, when Jack and Uncle Eric were in college, there was this girl named Rachel. She loved Jack like a boyfriend, and Uncle Eric as a brother. Eventually, she and Jack broke up, and they haven't spoke to each other in years. But she and Uncle Eric talk all the time." Riley said, letting out a deep breath.

"So you think that if we do become a couple that we would eventually just break up and hate each other?" Lucas asked, flustered.

"Well, isn't that what happens? I mean, look at Jack and Rachel, Uncle Shawn and Angela. I don't want to lose you just because I took some stupid risk that ruined our friendship!" Riley exclaimed, now raising her voice full blast.

"Riley," Lucas exclaimed just as loud, "How could you call us a stupid risk? You mean more to me than any other girl I know!"

"And you mean more to me that any other boy I know!" Riley fired back, as they both noticed it had started to rain.

"Look, Lucas," She said standing up out of the chair and starting to walk away as he followed, "This was stupid, it's raining and I should probably just get home." She said as she tried to leave but was stopped when he grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"No! Riley, why is it so hard for you to give into these feelings? You can't deny that we have something special!" Lucas asked pulling her even closer. By now, it was pouring and they were both soaked.

Riley took a deep breath and sighed. "Lucas, I just don't want to..."

And before she knew it his lips had crashed into hers, and stayed there for a few seconds until she pulled away in utter shock.

"What are you doing?" Riley asked, shocked and wide-eyed.

"Now, tell me that you didn't feel something because I did!" Lucas ask softly, their faces still inches away from each other.

"Lucas, of course I felt something. I felt everything! But I can't..."

Once again, his lips are on hers, but this time with more intensity than ever. She kisses back after a few seconds and gets lost in the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as he wraps his around her waist.

"So then he just walked away, covered in flour and all!" Katy laughed, as she finishes telling her story to Topanga.

"And you didn't say anything?" Topanga said giggling.

"Nope!" Katy replied, laughing just as hard. She soon heard how heavy the rain had begun to pour. "Hey, it's raining pretty hard out there, you better check on the kids!" She suggested.

"Ooh... Yeah, you're right!" Topanga said as she walked out the door.

What she saw shocked her at first, yet didn't surprise her at all: Riley and Lucas, kissing as passionately as ever, no space in between each other, with their hands twisted in each other's hair.

Topanga smiled as she closed the door and walked back over to the counter.

"Are they alright?" Katy asked, worried.

"Yeah," Topanga assured her, "They're just fine."

After minutes, they both finally pulled away, out of breath. They rested their foreheads on each others as they finally began to catch their breath.

"Wow!" Riley whispered with the goofiest smile on her face.

"I know." Lucas whispered, smiling just as big.

"That was the most amazing feeling I've ever had." She said as they finally pulled their foreheads apart.

"Then why can't you just give into it?" Lucas said, as he held both of her hands in his, instantly dropping the smile on her face.

"Because I can't risk losing you." She said softly.

"Riley..." He said, gently squeezing her hand.

"Lucas, things were great when we were just friends. Not brother and sister, but friends. Can we please just be best friends? At least, for now?"

"As long as that's what you want. But to me, we will always be more than friends." Lucas answered.

"Me too. I'm not saying, that at some point we can't be something more," Riley assured him, "But I'm just not ready to take this risk."

"Well just know, that whenever you are ready, I will be too." Lucas said as he kissed her forehead.

Graduation had now come and gone as the students piled into the graduation after party in the school gym. The excitement was buzzing in the room as they celebrated graduation to high school.

Riley walked over to the refreshments table and reached out to get a cup of punch when her hand bumped against another. She looked up to see Lucas standing right beside her.

They gazed into each other's eyes before she broke the silence.

"Hey." She smiled.

"Hi." He replied, reminiscing all the times they've shared those two words.

"So... In just a few months we're going to be high school students. Isn't that crazy?" He asked

"Yeah! It feels like just yesterday I fell onto this boy's lap on the subway, at the beginning of seventh grade." She said, giving them both a chuckle.

He paused for a moment, as a new song came on, "You want to dance?" He asked.

She hesitated, "It's a slow song..."

"Want to dance?" He asked again, not taking no for an answer, "just as friends." He assured, as he held out his hand.

"Sure," She smiled, taking his hand happily, as they walked onto the dance floor. They gently swayed to the music, with her arms wrapped around his neck, his hands wrapped around her waist.

She slowly leaned in closer and nestled her head in the crook of his neck. "We can do this just as friends, too, right?" She asked, more comfortable than ever.

"Of course," He assured, "If that's what you want." He smiled.

"Please don't let go." She said softly.

"I won't." He said back.

After a minute or so, she gently turned her head to whisper into his ear, "You know what they say about high school?" She whispered. "That you start to become okay with change and that you start to take more risks in life."

Lucas smiled, "I've heard that."

"Who knows," She whispered, "maybe I'll take a risk."


End file.
